Hi everyone!
I’m back today with a little something about file management. I know this may sound a bit boring, but bear with me.
I’ve decided on a file management system to organise the mountain of assets I’ve got for this project. Here’s a quick breakdown of how it works:
<AssetSet>_<AssetType>_<AssetSubType>_<AssetDescription>_<AssetNumber>
That looks a little confusing at first, but I created the naming convention in this way for a reason. Each section of the filename contains useful information for me. Here’s a summary of how this works:
<AssetSet> – This part of the filename tells me what set the asset belongs to, such as the default RTP or Time Fantasy. Why is this helpful? Well, it means I can have a unified aesthetic style, both visually and audibly.
<AssetType> – This tells me what sort of asset I’m dealing with, such as a Tileset, a Spritesheet, or any other sort of asset. This is helpful because it tells me where the specific asset belongs, what I can do with it, and how it’s been configured.
<AssetSubType> – Similarly to the <AssetType>, this tells me what kind of asset it is, but instead of being a general indication, it’s a more specific category. So I can tell if it’s an A1 Tileset, or an NPC Spritesheet. This helps me narrow down what I’m loking through, so I don’t waste time filtering through everything to find one specific asset.
<AssetDescription> – This one is pretty strightforward. It’s a description of what the asset is, which could be anything from Cliffs to Vampires.
<AssetNumber> – This one is only relevant if I have multiples of the same type of thing, or if it contains multiples of the same thing. If so, then I number them. That way I don’t have to try and rename every little thing, as PC’s aren’t brilliant at having two things with the same name.
So to put it into practice, I’m going to use this example:
TF_Spritesheet_NPC_Barmaid_1
So what this name tells me is that I have a Time Fantasy style asset, that’s a spritesheet. I know it’s an NPC (Non-Playable Character), and that it’s a Barmaid. As it has a number, it indicates that this isn’t the only Barmaid I have a spritesheet for. For another example:
RTP_Tileset_A5_Dungeon
This filename tells me that this is a default RTP (Run Time Package) asset. It’s a Tileset, configured to be an A5 component, and it’s for a Dungeon. As I only have one of it’s kind, it has no numerical suffix.
See? Nice and straightforward. This should help me keep organised during production.
Anyway, I’ll be back soon with something new!
SLGameDesign FMP 